A number of conventional rapid telephone call methods and systems are currently available to telephone services customers and/or callers. These conventional rapid telephone call methods and systems allow the telephone services customers and/or callers to select and/or dial an abbreviated and/or customized telephone number to reach a given party, as opposed to a full ten (10) -digit and/or non-customized telephone number. In other words, the conventional rapid telephone call methods and systems make it relatively easy for the callers to reach the party.
For example, conventional “N11” service allows emergency service organizations, public service organizations, telephone repair services, telephone information services, and the like to reserve and utilize a three (3)-digit telephone number, such as “911,” “211,” “611,” and “411,” which is provided to their users and/or customers. The users and/or customers may then dial this 3-digit number, with the “11” acting as an alert code, to reach the associated emergency service organization, public service organization, telephone repair service, or telephone information service relatively quickly and easily. Advantageously, such abbreviated telephone numbers are relatively easy to remember and may be marketed to the public at large.
Conventional network-based speed-call services allow telephone services customers to associate a two (2) or three (3)-digit telephone number, including an alert character, with a full ten (10)-digit telephone number. For example, a telephone services customer may, via their telephone services provider, associate “*5” or “*55” with their full “(555) 555-5555” telephone number. This service is typically utilized by news stations and the like to make it relatively easy for their listeners or viewers to report breaking news and events, such as traffic accidents. Likewise, other conventional network-based speed-call services, such as BellSouth's TouchStar service (BellSouth Corp., Atlanta, Ga.), associate a two (2) or three (3)-digit telephone number, also including an alert character, with a full ten (10)-digit telephone number, allowing a telephone services customer and/or caller to access a given telephone service. For example, a telephone services caller may access a repeat dialing service by dialing “*69”. Again, such abbreviated telephone numbers are relatively easy to remember and may be marketed to the public at large.
Conventional toll-free services provided by most inter-exchange carriers (IXCs) and competitive local-exchange carriers (CLECs) allow telephone services customers to reserve and/or utilize a customized full ten (10)-digit telephone number, such as “(800) ABC-DEFG,” which is provided to their users and/or customers. These users and/or customers may then dial this customized 10-digit telephone number to reach the associated full, non-customized 10-digit telephone number and a given telephone services customer. The “800” portion of the customized 10-digit telephone number indicates that charges associated with the telephone call will be paid by the telephone services customer, and not the telephone services caller. Advantageously, such customized, toll-free telephone numbers are relatively easy to remember and may be marketed to the public at large.
What is still needed, however, are rapid telephone call methods and systems that are more flexible and that allow a telephone services customer and/or caller to reserve and utilize and/or dial an abbreviated and/or customized two (2) to seven (7)-digit telephone number, the 2 to 7-digit telephone number not necessarily including an alert code or character. This 2 to 7-digit telephone number would then be associated by the telephone services provider with a full ten (10)-digit telephone number and the call would be terminated to the associated telephone services customer. Thus, for example, the telephone number “ABC” could be terminated to ABC Company's customer call center and an interactive voice response (IVR) menu. What is also needed is a 2 to 7-digit telephone number that may be selectively enabled/disabled in predetermined geographic areas or Local Access Transport Areas (LATAs), such that the 2 to 7-digit telephone number may be selectively marketed in those predetermined geographic areas.
A plurality of additional telephone call and advanced telephony services could be associated with the rapid telephone call service, including telephone call routing, blocking, and handling services. Such services could include, for example, tailored call coverage services, point of call coverage services, menu routing services, advanced routing services, emergency routing services, agent routing services, blocking services, voice mail services, and the like. A telephone services customer could then be charged for this rapid telephone call service based upon the associated feature-plus-event-driven transaction charges, such as each time a telephone call is routed, blocked, or handled in any way.